Pediatric Hospitalist Services

Hospitalists are doctors who care for patients admitted to Children's Hospital Colorado for general pediatric conditions. Because these doctors don't have offices where they see outside patients, their time and expertise is specifically devoted to caring for patients who are in the hospital. In addition to providing medical care, a hospitalist's job is to communicate and coordinate with each patient's family, primary care provider and other specialists involved in patient care. 

How do hospitalists help patients and families?

By coordinating communication throughout the entire health care team, including your primary care provider, hospitalists help maintain continuity of care between hospital and outpatient settings. In short, they make your life a little easier by:

• Providing a smooth transition between your referring physician's office and Children's Hospital Colorado
• Relaying timely, important information to your child's primary care physician during a hospital stay
• Facilitating open discussion, family-centered care and joint decision making on a daily basis
• Obtaining ongoing input and expertise from your referring physician
• Utilizing in-house knowledge of hospital policies and routines
• Forming a partnership between your primary physician and Children's Hospital to guarantee your child gets the best medical care

Why use Children's hospitalist services?

Shared knowledge between your child's primary care provider and Children's Hospital Colorado is key to providing high-quality, streamlined care. That's why our hospitalists keep your primary care physician informed and engaged during your child's treatment, every step of the way. Our hospitalists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are dedicated to providing the safest and best possible care to patients by serving as physician leaders, educators and researchers in both the academic setting and within our multiple locations.

All of our hospitalists are members of the Section of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Each pediatric hospitalist has graduated from medical school and has three or more years of pediatric residency training. We also have a group of highly skilled pediatric nurse practitioners and physician assistants who work closely with our hospitalist physicians to provide excellent care to hospitalized patients.

Providing specialized care

Our pediatric hospitalists specialize in care for children who are in the hospital for general medical conditions, such as:

• Common pediatric illnesses, such as flu and dehydration
• Infectious diseases of the blood, skin, lungs and kidneys
• Respiratory illness, such as pneumonia and croup
• Chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and asthma
• Recovery from surgery or injury

Assistance before, during and after your stay at Children's

A hospitalist will call your referring physician within 24 hours of admission to Children's and upon your child's discharge. We will make more frequent calls upon significant changes in your child's health, or at the request of the physician. We'll also fax a copy of the Discharge Summary to the referring physician when your child leaves—meaning you'll have one less thing to worry about when you get home.

How do parents learn more about hospitalist services?

Hospitalists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at all of our locations. Parents and families can reach us by phone at 720-777-5070.

Immediate access for physicians

If you are a healthcare provider and need to contact a Children's hospitalist or access information about a patient, please call One Call at 720-777-3999.